 |
Netflix Review: Online DVD Rental |
| Sign up for Netflix | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rating: |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30-day free trial and free streaming movies make Netflix our top choice | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
NetFlix invented the online movie rental business in 1999 and has been a leader ever since. With over 100,000 titles and 58 distribution centers throughout the U.S., they offer more movies than anyone else. They claim to reach more than 90% of their members with generally one business day delivery (our research has found that members usually do get their DVDs within one day and almost always within two).
Plans NetFlix offers an array of plans to choose from, all following the NetFlix-pioneered model of keeping each DVD as long as you like and getting a new one shipped to you when you send one back to them. This enables them to offer free shipping and no late fees so you'll never pay more than your monthly subscription cost. The plan breakdown is a little complicated, as recently Netflix has begun charging for it's previously free streaming service. All plans come with a 30-day free trial for new NetFlix customers and you can cancel any time so it's a no risk proposition. Pricing
Website NetFlix offers a variety of useful tools on their website, including free online movie trailers, critics' reviews, user reviews, friends' reviews, and a recommendation engine. Subscribers can also stream over 12,000 movies and TV episodes directly to a PC or Mac, or to a television through any of several Netflix ready devices, including an Xbox 360 or TiVo DVR. The service only allows you to stream movies, not to download them permanently. Netflix also does a great job with customer service, offering an automated self-help system as well as email and phone support if you have any problems. Bottom Line NetFlix's sole focus is on movies and streaming content, and they are the best at what they do. However, NetFlix is also not for you if you want to rent adult DVDs as they have stayed out of that part of the business. If you are not interested in games or adult movies and prefer to receive DVDs solely through the mail or watch unlimited streaming content, NetFlix is the best choice you will find. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Free Trial: | 30 days |
| Monthly Price: | $7.99-$29.98/mo |
| Delivery Speed: | One or two days for DVDs, instant for online streaming |
| Late Fees: | None |
| Shipping Fees: | None |
| Customer Service: | Email & phone |
NextAdvisor Online DVD Rental Blog Headlines
Netflix to split streaming and DVD, renaming DVD to Qwikster
Over the weekend Netflix announced they will be separating their DVD-by-mail and online content streaming services and renaming their DVD business as Qwikster.com. This comes on the coattails of their recent decision to charge for their formerly free streaming service, thereby changing their entire pricing and plan line up and increasing prices up to 60%. [...]
Is Google's new online movie rental poised to end Netflix?
A few days ago at Google I/O, Google's yearly developer conference in San Francisco, the company made public a new movie-rental service for the Android Market. It'll roll out soon to Market applications on Android devices: handsets, tablet computers, PCs, and laptops. Users will be able to stream these movie rentals from the cloud, making it [...]
Stream Netflix movies on your Wii
Netflix is adding Nintendo's Wii consoles to the list of devices that allow Netflix subscribers to stream unlimited movies and television episodes. If you're already a Netflix member but haven't already been taking advantage of Netflix's unlimited streaming content, the addition of the Wii makes it even easier to start. And if you're a Wii [...]
Consumers still prefer DVDs over streaming video
It seems logical to assume that over time, the popularity of DVDs would fade in favor of streaming video. But for the present, DVDs are holding strong. A new survey found that the majority of consumers would rather rent DVDs than stream movies over the Internet. Only 6% of respondents considered the streaming feature important. [...]
